He Cares
by xxToxicxLovestormxx
Summary: This is a "thank you!" to Takara Makoto! Excerpt:It was hurting more to try to breathe then it was to quietly cooperate with death, let it take her, release her. It hurt too much to defy. So she didn’t.


**A/n**: FINALLY! Takara Makoto's fanifc request is up! YAY! I am so proud of meeeeeeeeeeee!

This fic is a "thank you" for the fic Takara wrote me, which, might I add, is QUITE the SMEX!

Yus it is.

It's called Five Days Change, and you MUST read it.

-nod nod-

Now then, Sasuke will seem OOC, but that's because he kinda has to be in this fic. I'm not telling you why, 'cause I don't want to tell the surprise ending! Where would the fun be in that?

Hehe.

Things to know before reading:

_Inner Sakura Talking…_

'Regular Thinking…'

"Talking…"

**He Cares**

"_Remember,_

_To me you'll be forever sacred._

_I'm dying but I know our love will live._

_Your hand above, like a dove, over me._

_Remember,_

_To me you'll be forever sacred."_

-Sacred by Tokio Hotel

Breath escaped her slightly parted lips in a light pant creating puffs of white air. Her chest wrenched with pain and she doubled over, biting back a pitiful cry. In an attempt to numb the pain she forced healing chakra into her wounds, digging her teeth into her split lip as her body was hit with wave after unbearable wave of excruciating pain.

_You could make it stop, Sakura-chan,_ a voice whispered, soft, and pleading.

'No... I'm…I'm not a quitter…' she answered, coughing out blood which quickly stained the snow covered ground beneath her crimson.

Slowly, her gaze lifted and she studied the broken form of the rogue shinobi who had attacked her, claiming she was carrying something of great value, while in reality, she had nothing on her person, save for the pack of shinobi tools she always carried. A shiver of dread slithered down her spine when her gaze met the vacant stare of the fallen man's, muddy brown eyes peering into her soul, dissecting her heart, reading her mind.

After what very easily could have been forever, Sakura tore her gaze away, shivvering as a gust of wind blew dagger-like snowflakes against her, seeming to rip through her torn clothing. She allowed her gaze to travel downward to the ground she stood on, and gave a nearly inaudible gasp of shock. Liquid vermillion soaked into the white powder she stood on. It wasn't the blood itself that surprised her, but the quantity. Sure, she knew she had been pretty badly wounded, but she had been oblivious to just what extent.

How the hell did a medic-nin not realize when she had almost completely bled out?

_It is too late, Sakura-chan, we are going to die here tonight…_

'Shut **up**! We will **not **die here! I refuse!' Sakura screeched mentally, even as she felt her knees give out, sending her onto her stomach into the uncharacteristically warm snow. She knew that if she allowed herself she would very easily be able to fall asleep here, sink into the serene abyss of slumber. Never before had this concept been so appealing to her.

But she also knew that it was dangerous to fall asleep in the snow, even if one had not lost all the blood she had.

_Close your eyes, Sakura-chan. Just sleep, just for a moment, _the voice purred.

'No…I can't…I won't wake up…' Sakura whimpered in answer, staring up at the dark sky, watching the snow drift down to the earth.

_I'll wake you up, Sakura-chan…_

With that, Sakura allowed her eyes to flutter closed and her breathing slowed considerably. She honestly wanted to fight the sleep overtaking her, she still had to complete the mission, there was no time to rest, it was out of the question. Even so, the pink-haired kunoichi's breathing came dangerously close to a halt, and it was bliss.

_Yes…Sleep…_

Why couldn't she fight, and live? Why couldn't she open her eyes, and see? Why couldn't she expand her lungs, and breathe?

Why should she?

Life was so hard, too complicated with all its worries, all of its hate, all of its pain. That little, miniscule piece of her that wanted to live struggled to find a reason, any reason, to fight the darkness that was slowly engulfing her mind, heart, and soul. Even as she thought of Tsunade, Naruto, Kakashi, Shizune, she still could not muster up the will to fight.

It was more painful to try to breathe than it was to just quietly cooperate with death, let it take her, release her. It hurt too much to defy.

So she didn't.

As she balanced on the edge of life and death she felt something warm…Soft, not like the snow was now, roll her onto her back, caress her cheek, and lift her head.

"Still so weak," a voice chided softly, so familiar, yet not.

Who was this? Why did this otherwise hurtful comment make her stomach flip and fill with butterflies? She parted her eyes, just for a moment.

What she saw made her reconsider her decision to go willingly into death's arms. Onyx eyes studied her, showing disapproval of her current state.

Sakura ignored the snarling of the voice, screaming at her to shut her eyes, lay still, and took in a single, painful breath. "S-Sasuke…"

Those coal-black eyes lit with recognition, then came a curt nod.

Tears stung at the back of her eyes when she got her response. Sasuke. Her only love was with her in what she was sure were her final moments. How perfect. To die in the arms of the man she longed for, wanted more than anything else in the whole entire world. It was very fitting. She believed she deserved to see Sasuke before her last breath.

"Breathe, Sakura. You have to breathe," he commanded, removing the thick layers of clothing she'd worn to shield her from the cold, inspecting her wounds.

Oh, how she wanted to. More than anything. She had found the resolve, her reason. She could not die now, not when she was finally with her Sasuke-kun after nearly six long, lonely years.

_It's too __**late**__, Sakura, _the voice hissed.

Sakura gave a mental nod, knowing full well that Sasuke had come too late; there was no escaping the embrace of death once you had already partially accepted it.

Sasuke saw the lack of will in Sakura's jade orbs, studied the way her features looked so relaxed, felt the weight of her slight form as she allowed herself to become limp.

Now he was angry.

What had happened to the strong-willed, chipper, pink-haired kunoichi he had grown up with? Where was she now? Why couldn't he see the admiration in her eyes? Why didn't the sweet grin that screamed "I love you" pull up the corners of her lips when that was all he wanted? Why wasn't her chest rising and falling as oxygen filled her lungs? Why were her lips becoming a sickly pale blue? Why was she now paler than the snow she lay on?

Sasuke's eyes hardened as he shook Sakura, somewhat satisfied when her glazed over eyes peered up at him. "Listen to me, Sakura. I have **never **asked anything of you. Ever. Now, though, I'm **begging** you, don't leave me. Not now… Not when I have just realized how much I need your love in my life." At the slight movement of Sakura's eyelids sliding shut, Sasuke shook her again, earning a glare of irritation. "Did you know I planned on coming back to you after I avenged my family? Planned on begging you to take me back, love me again, and forgive me for leaving you…Ask you to be with me always? I want that still, Sakura… _My _Sakura."

'**No**! Why now?! Why when I'm almost certain of this did her have to come and ruin it?' thought Sakura, her mind fogged with conflict.

Then, the words Sakura longed to hear most for so long, had fought to hear, willingly stepped up to death's doorstep to hear, so easily slid off Sasuke's tongue in what seemed like a paused moment of time. "_I love you, Sakura._"

_**No! It is too late! **_The voice screeched in defiance, doing its best to convince Sakura to go through with her earlier plan to die quickly.

'I know…I…Know.' Sakura mused, eyes fluttering closed. "I…love you…Sasuke…kun…" she managed to sigh on a small breath of air, her soul ebbing away.

Sasuke's eyes widened, and for the first time since the massacre of his family, he was really, truly, in all honesty scared. He was losing her… Had already lost her. Panic took over his being as he pulled Sakura's lifeless form to him, cradling her to his chest, tears threatening to spill over the rim of his eyelids. "Sakura! No, damn it! You will not…Can **not **leave me!"

No response, only the whistle of the wind blowing through the snow covered trees as snowflakes continued falling, dotting both of the shinobi's hair and clothing. The blood spilled earlier now covered in a new sheet of snow.

Sasuke stared down at Sakura for the longest time, admiring her beauty even in death, loving the pastel-pink hair sprinkled with white powder. A small, ghost of a smile was permanently placed on her cold lips, evidence of her relief.

Slowly, almost cautiously, Sasuke leaned forward, molding their lips together in their first and last kiss. It was filled with one sided passion, one sided love. He would never be able to feel the loving brush of her fingertips against his skin, receive the smile of adoration.

As he hovered his lips over hers a single tear dropped to the snow, disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared. A small whimper escaped Sasuke's lips as his hand cupped her cheek, sliding his thumb over the cold skin as he whispered a quiet, "I love you."

**A/n**: Soo…This is officially the most depressing one-shot I have EVER written.

-_-'

But hey! I don't write comedy very well.

I hope you enjoyed! Especially you, Takara-chan!

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